Little Moments Between Now and Forever
by TheAmazingLT
Summary: A collection of shorts revolving around Chi-Chi and Goku's relationship (some will be AU)
1. Chapter 1

**Hey there, thank you for all the positive reviews for the previous collection of mine. I decided to start a new collection of shorts focusing on Goku and Chi-Chi's relationship commencing from Goku's return back to life in the Buu Saga to the various sagas in Super. I do have a few ideas floating around my head for a full AU story so look out for that a few weeks from now.**

 **I feel like Chi-Chi is a very interesting character but she, and her relationship with Goku and others, have always been glanced over by the writers of Dragon Ball. There are also so many people that dislike her as a character and love bashing her but I feel like she is actually quite a complex and likable character so I really want to explore some aspects of her character and her relationships with others as I write this. Some of these will be canon (but honestly, what is and what is not canon in DB even?) others will be AU**

 **Disclaimer: The characters used do not belong to me and I make no revenue off this, so please don't sue me.**

 **Also, do take note of the T rating and the light friskiness it implies.**

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The small kitchen was filled to the brim with the sound of laughter emanating from various members of the Son family. The matriarch stood by the stove adding flavourful spices to the different pots that housed various dishes, each type of spice perfectly complementing the taste of each. She had found the perfect balance for every dish through trial and error over the years, and her hands and palate had become that of a trained chef by now. She looked over her shoulders at her two sons, either to lightly reprimand Goten or jokingly join in the teasing of Gohan too, the very subject of Goten's teasing. The scene of a joyous family had become the norm- the brothers would playfully bicker back and forth as they waited for their mother to finish making dinner. But something was different; this time there was not three bodies in the kitchen but rather four. The fourth member, leaning against the frame of the open kitchen door with a small smile, was a welcomed addition.

He studied his beautiful family, that had changed yet still remained the same over the years. Gohan was a grown man now, yet he still maintained the gentleness and timidity of his childhood. Chi-Chi was still as fiery as ever, and though time brought subtle changes to her physical form, she was still as beautiful as the day he had married her- or maybe even prettier now. Time and distance had made him appreciate the magnificence of her beauty and soul more than he ever had before his death. The greatest change in his family however was the presence of Goten, the little boy was bottled sunlight which could warm the heart of the darkest creatures. The child, that looked so much like him, but who also carried the gentle features of his mother in the curve of his nose and softness of his jaw, was so inquisitive, adventurous and gentle. The boy made his heart ache with regret for time lost but rejoice with each smile aimed at him. His family was beautiful. There was no denying that he and Chi-Chi created the best children; it was as if both of their best qualities collided to form the two wonderful beings who were now good-heartedly poking fun at each other. They were respectful, strong, courageous and most of all they were kind-hearted.

Oh, how he missed this; the last time his home was filled with such uninhibited joy was when Gohan was four. Life then had been so easy. After Raditz everything changed; foe after foe followed, each stronger and more ruthless than those that preceded them. Even the sporadic times of peace, which allowed him to be home with his family, were filled with a cloud of heaviness that no one dared address. No matter how he tried to feign ignorance, the cloud was there slowly suffocating them all. The weightlessness that usually accompanied joy refused to return to the walls of their home, for it knew its stay would only be temporary, as new foes continuously emerged from the shadows calling him to action yet again.

That was why he chose to remain dead; he wanted his family to experience that weightlessness again. He refused to be the anchor that dragged them down; he wanted his wife to smile more and he wanted his gentle son to experience a childhood not tainted by death and destruction. The latter revelation had come too late unfortunately, only during the last few minutes of Gohan's battle with Cell. Only then did he acknowledge Gohan's humanity for the first time and the gravity of what it entailed. Being a full-blooded Saiyan, head injury or not, he did not have the same emotional reactions as humans had; he felt their emotions- love, joy, sadness- but those emotions did not affect him in the way it did them.

"…his face gets all red when Videl is around like-like a baboon's butt."

"Whatever, Goten. Stop talking," Gohan said as a deep blush painted itself on his face.

"See!" Goten shouts as he enthusiastically points to his brother's face as the evidence supporting his hypothesis.

Chi-Chi chuckled, mirth dancing in her dark eyes. "You're right, Goten."

"Mom, why are you ganging up on me too?"Gohan complained with a pout.

She laughed. "Auw, honey, I think it's cute, your dad used to blush like that at the beginning of our marriage."

"But they're not married, mom," Goten adds.

"Not yet," Chi-Chi said with a smile already imagining how cute their children will be and how nice it would be to have a little one to dote on, as her little Goten was growing up too fast and would soon grow tired of her kisses and tight hugs.

Gohan responded to his mother's word with another embarrassed blush.

"Videl, is kinda scary sometimes, like you, Mom. But she's also really nice a lot of the time," Goten said sweetly.

"Yeah she does have a temper a bit like Mom," Gohan said absentmindedly, not certain if that was a good or a bad thing.

"You have your mother's temper too," Goku added from the sidelines deciding to finally join his children at the table. He glanced at his wife who was now busy dishing up for her and Goten, knowing that they would get caught in the crossfire of Goku and Gohan's battle for the most food.

"What?" Gohan asked with a disbelieving gasp as confusion made itself known on his face. "No, I don't."

He sounded too disturbed by Goku's comment for Chi-Chi's liking, thus the woman picked up the damp cloth she had used to clean off spilled food that landed on the stove amidst stirring. She flung it over to her son causing the young man to shriek in disgust when the dirty rag hit him against his cheek.

"Hey, what's so wrong with being like me?" She asked raising an eyebrow daringly.

He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly -a trait he had inherited from his father- looking at his mother with an apology burning in his gaze.

"Sorry, Mom, I did not mean it like that."

She huffed but said nothing, opting rather to continue dishing up for her youngest. Behind her she heard Goku explain the logic behind his statement.

"For the Kai to unlock his power he wanted something in return-" Goku said carefully choosing his words as he was not sure he wanted to divulge too much in Goten's presence but Gohan interrupted.

"He wanted-" Gohan pressed his palms on either side of his younger brothers head over his ears. Goten pulled a confused face but did nothing to shrug out of his grasp. "- unsavoury photos in return for that and dad suggested Videl," the oldest Son brother explained, carefully choosing his words.

Chi-Chi glared at her innocently grinning husband who was now busy rubbing the back of his head guilty- a tell-tale that he knew he had done something wrong.

"It was for the greater good!" Goku said with a light-hearted laugh he prayed was contagious enough for him to not get a tongue lashing from his wife. He decided to continue his explanation for his earlier statement. "Once I saw his whole face turn red as he shouted at me, it was as if I was looking right at you Chi-Chi, I've never been that afraid before. Looking back at it, he was even scarier than Vegeta when I suggested Bulma take one for the team-

"What are you guys talking about?" Goten sweet high-pitched voice interrupted. He looked at Gohan with expectant eyes as he did not like being out of the loop. Gohan obliged presuming that most the unsavoury bits were already discussed.

"I see perversion is not confined to the realm of the living and mortals," Chi-Chi said ignoring the small boy's question. She placed a bowl of water, soap and a dry dishrag in front of Goku, silently commanding him to wash his hands and send the bowl and soap around the table. She then turned to Gohan with an eyebrow raised understanding that he was trying to protect Videl's virtue but that however still gave him no right to speak to his father in such a way- no matter how idiotic the things that left the patriarch's mouth were at times.

"And you, young man, apologize to your father."

He looked down ashamed that he acted like that. He reconsidered his father's hypothesis and concluded that maybe he was right, when he lost his temper, he guessed he did resemble his mom in that regard; his temper, when he had been a child, was quite short. Unlike his mother however, he became better at controlling that temper, his mother, on the other hand was the type of woman to speak her mind, fume now and a few minutes later she would get over whatever it was that made her blood boil.

"I'm sorry, Dad," he looked at his father so that the man could see the regret in his eyes.

Goku shrugged him off; he was never one to take things personally, his light-hearted nature refused to.

"It's just…I mean… put yourself in my shoes, you wouldn't be all that happy if some old guy asked you for photos of mom," he explained.

"Why would an old guy ask for photos of Mom? Doesn't he know what she looks like?" Goten asked innocently as he washed his small hands, watching his mother place copious amounts food on the table begging to be enjoyed.

"Yeah…that's it," Chi-Chi slowly before trying to change the subject. "Have you caught up with all your homework yet, little man?"

Since Goku's return to the land of the living permanently about a week ago the children spent most of their free time with their father- especially Goten. She decided to let them enjoy their time with their father, much to the determent of their school work, but that all would soon come to an end. Clearly Goku was not planning on going anywhere soon, thus a healthy routine and some discipline could be installed yet again.

Goten answered his mother but whatever his reply was did not register in Goku's brain, the father of two was too busy contemplating the words his eldest son had spoken. He felt unease brew within him at the thought of some perverted old man daring to lay his eyes on Chi-Chi when she was not covered in modesty. The idea was just… unnatural. Only he had permission to see Chi-Chi in a state of undress and vice versa, thus the idea troubled him to the core. It was not anger he felt, but the thought was rather nausea-inducing.

He gently shook his head to rid himself of the images rather focusing all his attention on his wife's delicious food, his taste buds already swelling with anticipation causing his mouth to water. 7 long years he had spent without Chi-Chi's food, thus he felt the need savour every bite of it as no earthly or in heavenly delicacy could compare the dishes his woman created.

"Wow, Cheech this looks really good, thanks!"

With that he dug in.

* * *

"But, Daddy, why can't I sleep with you and Mom again?" Goten asked, a pout painted on his lips.

The face tugged on his heart strings, almost serenading him into submission…almost. He loved spending time with the little firecracker, and he tried his best to catch up on as much as he could but his wife, a character always on the side lines, took the back seat yet again, and he knew after years of separation she too deserved his attention. Something which was hard to give her when every second of his day was either filled with; bonding with the boys, catching up with visitors who filled him in on all he had missed during his years in the afterlife, and of course Goten who had moved into their bedroom since his return.

Tonight, would be the first night he got alone time with Chi-Chi and as much as it excited him, it was petrifying all the same. She would want to have a long and hard conversation regarding his years of absence and Goku, for his part, opted to avoid any conflict with his wife because he always lost. Even when he did make a good point during a disagreement, she would somehow always end the argument victoriously by the sheer volume of her voice. That of course did not mean she did not consider what he said as she would make subtle changes the days following their disagreements; even if those changes were sometimes done reluctantly- a willingness to accept Gohan training being a perfect example.

Goku ruffled the boy's head affectionately.

"You know how I've been spending so much time with you since I got back?" He asked.

The boy slowly nodded, not fully understanding what that had to do with the question he had asked.

"Well, I've been spending so much time playing with you and Gohan that I haven't gotten any time to spend alone with Mom."

The miniature version of himself nodded in understanding as a bright grin burst forth from his lips.

"Yeah, you should also play with Mom more, Dad, she'd like that."

Gohan groaned from his bed opposite to Goten's, cringing in embarrassment and horror. Goku shared his son's embarrassment causing the man to blush and rub the back of his head at his youngest son's choice of words and his eldest's conclusion.

Goten was confused but decided to shrug it off: if he were to question the strangeness adult behaviour he would never get any rest. He snuggled into his bed readying his body for sleep that would soon follow.

"Night, Goten," his father said ruffling his hair affectionately yet again.

"Night, Dad."

"Goodnight, Gohan."

"Night, Dad."

He switched off their bedroom light and closed the door. As he made his way to their bedroom, he heard the rushing water of the shower stop announcing that Chi-Chi was about to emerge from the bathroom soon. He made himself comfortable on the bed as he awaited her arrival, he busied himself by opening his drawer to see if anything of interest was there to fight off the impatience and anticipation which were causing his muscles to twitch.

What he found was disregarded candy wrappings he and Goten had sneaked into to bed under her nose. Underneath the various wrappers was their laminated wedding certificate, and a small black box resting on it. He opened the box to find wedding rings neither of them had worn in years as his wife's need for a spotless home demanded she use chemicals that would damage its metal. And not only did it irritate him, but it was also likely to get damaged when he fired his power blasts. Suddenly curious, he took the larger ring and slipped it on his ring finger to study how it looked. Goku was not much of a nostalgic person but tonight he felt reflective due to the knowledge that Chi-Chi would probably want to talk about what had transpired before and during his death, as well as what the future held.

"My, I haven't seen those in a while," Chi-Chi said with a small smile stretched over her lips. Her body was shielded from his view by a purple silk robe, her wet hair neatly tamed in a braid sprawled over her left shoulder. He returns her smile while she made her way towards him, so she too could try on her forgotten wedding ring. She joined him on the bed, allowing him to get a whiff of her intoxicating scent infused with lavender of her scented soaps and oils. She knew he liked the gentle smell of lavender as it was the sweetest of smells nature produced; gentle to his sensitive senses and calming to the nerves. A comfortable silence grows between them as they both become lost in the maze of memories of their shared past.

"Are you upset?" Goku asked breaking the comfortable silence which engulfed them in its hold for the past few minutes.

She does not look at him as she slid the ring off her ring finger to return it to its home in the box.

"I'm hurt, Goku," she answered honestly, her eyes still glued to the black box now resting on her palm. She was overjoyed that he was back but that did not mean that his sudden presence erased years of pain. "For the longest time I thought Roshi was right when he said It's because of me you didn't want to come back, things were …difficult before Cell."

"You have to know that's not true," Goku said gently.

"True or not, that's how I felt. I'm inclined to my own feelings, Goku," she snapped finally looking at him, pain written in her gaze. Realizing that she was losing her cool and that this was not the type of reunion she had wanted with him, she closed her eyes opting to take a deep calming breath.

He wasn't human, that was something she forget, it was something he forgot too because he felt so human when he was around his family and friends. Yet he wasn't and hell how he wished he could be more human for her; he wished he could feel how she felt and rationalize his emotions and act on them like she wished he would, but he could not. He sometimes wished he could give her more as that was what she deserved. But he was a selfish man, even if letting her go meant that she could find what he could not give her, he knew he was too selfishly in love with Chi-Chi, even after all these years, to let her go. He could spend months, hell years away from her, but the knowledge that she was his and he hers was enough for him. He would not survive if Chi-Chi were to ever not be his and if he was not hers.

"I'm sorry, I made you feel that way, Chi-Chi, but know that I never thought that. Of course, I want to be with you."

She did not want to open old wounds. Not tonight. Talking about all this tonight would not magically fix year of frustration, abandonment and pain. What she wanted to do tonight was to just lose herself in him, and make sure that he was real, that he was not a figment of her imagination. They could fight tomorrow, and they could heal tomorrow, but all she wanted for tonight is the feeling of being utterly complete with him.

"Do you love me?" She asked with here eyes still close. She just needed him to say those words and the unspoken promises they held. He had said them a week ago at the lookout, but she needed to hear those words again because prior to that, the last time he uttered those words was against her forehead the morning of the Cell Games.

"Of course, I do, Chi-Chi." He was not never good with expressing his emotions and especially the love he had for her but that did not mean it was not there. He was slightly taken aback by the insecurity in her voice, he could hear the low quiver of fear clothed in timidity when she spoke. "Do you still love me?" he asked

She opened her eyes, so he could see in her eyes the words that her smart mouth did not say. "Don't be an idiot."

He smiled that boyish smile that was only for her.

"I take that as a yes."

She huffed with a small smile on her face. Goku took his wedding ring off and placed it back in the box deciding to return the wedding rings to their home in drawer, the action allowing Chi-Chi a glimpse of his and Goten's mess.

"You better clean that up," she warned. He quickly closed the drawer.

"Make me," he joked wanting to work on her nerves just a little bit. He loved working her up, and she always took the bait much to his amusement. She was like dynamite in the best way.

"Goku."

"Chi-Chi," he mimicked her growl. "You're so cute when you get mad, babe."

She bit her lip trying her best to contain a smile at the pet name she had not heard in years, but she failed miserably, especially when he placed a hand on her bare knee silently asking her to share herself with him. She gently pressed her palms to either side of his face and led him to her lips, her breath hitching in anticipation for the kiss.

The week's small smiles and gentle touches were not enough, she needed to be one with him after years of separation. She needed to feel his soul course through her body and meet her own. She pressed a gentle kiss to his mouth silently telling how she needed him emotionally, physically and spiritually.

"Lock the door," she whispered knowing that Goten had not learned respect for privacy yet, especially hers, thus the boy could easily wander into their room during the night.

He obliged causing her body to mourn his loss immediately and growing upset with her for sending him away, but he soon returned and gifted her for a slow long kiss, wordlessly promising that they had all the time in the world tonight. There was no need to rush anything.

She leaned back resting on her elbows, her husband following until he was straddling her, his right hand rested by her head to keep him upright. As he kissed her, his free hand fiddled with her rob until the silk slid off her body, leaving her bare underneath him. He leaned down to press a gentle kiss to her stomach as a wordless apology for not being there to do so when Goten was growing inside her.

"It was really hard with Goten," she says, as if reading his thoughts. His warm lips left her soft body, so he could look at her while she spoke. "It wasn't the same as with Gohan. He was always so gentle, even when he started moving around and kicking he was never too rough. Goten, however, was another story; it felt like he wanted to rearrange my organs."

He slid over of her, resting his upper body on his elbows on either side or her body, the warm skin stretched over her chest, pressing against his, his face mere inches away from hers, as she spoke, her eyes glazed over with remembrance. All while she kept on weaving her fingers through his hair.

"He's been like you even before he was born- restless," she says with a gentle smile and for a moment there's present clarity in her gaze. It quickly disappeared when another thought popped into her head causing her to frown slightly. "He was born prematurely, almost more than a month early. Goku, I've never been as afraid of anything before in my life, the idea of losing him too…a part of me would have died. It would be like losing you all over again… but also worse."

She loved her husband, oh heaven she loved the man more than her lungs needed oxygen, but her children, they were her heart and she knew if something were to happen to them she would die. She could continue life without Goku, yes, she could survive no matter how painful it would be, but not without Gohan and Goten.

"He was so small I thought I would lose him," she smiled despite the memory. "But he's your son so of course he would be a little fighter." She untangled her fingers from his hair, so she could rest her palm on his cheek. "He's prefect, isn't he?"

Goku nodded, his heart heavy. His tongue was ready to construct an apology, however he knew nothing he could say could covey his regret, so he stopped himself from speaking.

Noticing his turmoil Chi-Chi guided his lips to hers banishing those thoughts for now; they were tomorrow's problems. Again, the kiss was slow, but it tasted of expectation and thirst for him. He kissed her back with the same slow-burning and restrained passion, he did not just desire her body tonight, he desired to touch her soul as well, thus uninhibited passion and desire could wait until later.

Even after years of separation, his hands still remembered the road map of her body; his fingers still knew where to touch to make her pulse race, where to caress to make her hum. Her body was his home, his sanctuary: it was safe, and it was familiar; it had housed his greatest treasures and it was his greatest weakness but also his greatest strength. His fingers danced over her skin in a beautiful choreographic waltz, which had taken years to perfect.

He could feel her hands glide over the small hills of tight muscles of which his body was constructed, her fingers strumming each nerve she touched as if he were an instrument at the mercy of an old master. He was music to her; loud, unrestrained and following whichever path the wind created, whilst she was his controlled dancer pulling him in with each gentle sway, her feet firmly on the ground, her controlled movements centering the reckless music he made to a specific time and space. Only she could tame his wild heart.

"I love you, Ch-Chi," he whispers into her mouth. He swears he had said those words tonight more than he ever had when he was alive. He does not always know how to prove it, and he might not always tell her that, but it was fact. Just as the there was no need for a daily reminder of the power of gravity or the science behind a sunrise, he also did not feel the need to always utter those words aloud because they felt redundant.

He might not be human and he might not experience or act on emotion to same way others did, but he knew what it meant to love somebody, to desire somebody so wholly. He could not pinpoint the exact moment his care for her turned itself into love, but that did not matter for he knew that he loved her now.

"I love you too, Goku."

They spent the night making love, quenching the thirst that grew between long lost lovers. Gentle intelligible murmurs evaporated against hot glowing skin, muscles tensing up as anticipation boiled in the nerves they housed. Limbs interweave covering every inch of each other's body, not permitting any patch of skin to feel neglected. And then there was nothing but nirvana, as every nerve pulsated endorphins through the length and breadth of their linked bodies.

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 **Next:** Chi-Chi has an admirer and Goku does not like it...at all, resulting in some shopping market mischief, a punch and an annoyed wife.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you soooo much for all the comments on the previous chapter. I had so much fun writing this and I hope you all enjoy. Please share your thoughts with me.**

 **Disclaimer: These characters do not belong to me and I make $0 off this.**

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Goku gave his 12th sigh since entering the super market, knowing that he was definitely working on her nerves with the hope of annoying her enough to make her send him on his jolly way. Even though her back was too him, as she pushed the shopping cart through the aisle, he could see her visibly stiffen attempting to keep herself from snapping at him. He could imagine that vein on her forehead pulsating and her cheeks reddening whilst she cutely crinkles her nose. He can't deny that he always thought she looked adorable when she was annoyed.

"Goku, it's just shopping. Stop being such a child," she hissed in a restrained voice, giving the impression that she knew what he was up to and even though she tried her best, she could not help but fall into his trap. Goku bit back a smile, knowing that he just had to give one more push and he would win their silent match. He rarely got to win against Chi-Chi, thus on the rare occasion he does, victory was always sweet.

She had made up her mind up this morning that he and she would do some shopping and have a 'couple's day' while they were at it- whatever that meant. Like a good husband he had initially followed without objection as they strolled through the city doing window shopping. Pacified by various snacks and street foods, he did not even mind when she dragged him to a hair salon to wait for her whilst she got her hair done. But as the hours passed by, he started growing more restless as neither Gohan or Goten were there to distract him as they both were in school. Only some hardcore training at King Kai's could placate his restlessness now, but every time he so much as mentioned training his wife would shoot that idea down.

He watched her long hair, now curled and falling down her back like waves made of ink, sway behind her as she glided through the aisles. He pulled various products from the shelf, random things of no use, and cradled it in his arms as he silently followed behind her whilst she adamantly tried ignoring him. Something grabbed her attention causing her to examine it, allowing him to take that as an opportunity to empty his arms, the noise causing her to turn around to see him dump useless items in the shopping cart, an innocent grin tattooed on his face. Yip, this would do it, Goku thought when he saw 'that look' of pure annoyance written in her features.

"You, know what, Goku, just go before I-"

"Hi, Miss Chi-Chi," an excited voice said interrupting her from giving him a tongue-lashing he deserved.

Both she and Goku focused on the source of the interruption to find a tall, well-built man with a face that betrayed his youth, regardless of his grown physique. The tall boy stood grinning behind the meat counter, eyes shining with recognition and excitement accompanied by a blush shading his features.

"Oh, uh, hello Libo," Chi-Chi said, momentarily distracting her from Goku's shenanigans.

Libo's smile widened at Chi-Chi's acknowledgement of his presence, something that caused an unfamiliar flutter to erupt from Goku's belly.

"We have a great special today on beef, Miss Chi-Chi…"

And with that Chi-Chi forgot about berating him opting to rather discuss meat prices and quality with the young man who could probably be not much older than Gohan. A frown made itself known on Goku's face as he heard the polite banter between the young man and his wife, he did not understand why but something did not feel right in the pit of his belly. The way the man would 'accidentally' brush his skin against Chi-Chi's when he handed her the meat, or the way he asked her questions like if she finished reading that cooking book by the chef he had recommended, just worsened the feeling. They spoke about the art of preparing food, Chi-Chi beaming as she explained things to him Goku did not understand. If the food tasted good and found its way into his belly, he did not care how it was prepared, much less how it was presented.

As they spoke Goku studied the young attractive man whose smile was a bit too wide. His eyes shone with too much familiarity. Something about this did not feel right to Goku, he could exactly explain what it was, as it was a feeling he had never come across before and he did not like it at all.

The two home cooks spoke for 15 minutes, laughing about failed recipes or kitchen mishaps. Goku knew he could have taken the change to slip out of the store, but the desire to leave her side had evaporated as soon as the butcher smiled that 'too' wide smile of his.

"Didn't I tell you to go," Chi-Chi said once they left the meat section of the store, remembering that she was still upset with him before she got distracted.

"Not really, you didn't get time to finish your sentence," he answered truthfully rubbing the back of his head.

She huffed but chose to say nothing to him allowing a silence to grow between them. This silence is not as comfortable as all the other silence, because Goku's bubbling emotions demanded answers from him, that he could not give.

"Well, what are you waiting for then? You can go."

"No, I want to stay."

She looked at him over her shoulder with an eyebrow raised.

"And where did this change of heart come from?"

"I want to stay," he repeats again as if it was an adequate explanation

Realization then dawned on her

"Son Goku, are you… jealous?" She asked shocked that her husband could even experience such an emotion. Her Goku was too pure of a creature for that.

"No," he said quickly, too quickly to just shrug it off.

Chi-Chi tried to stop the growing smile forming on her lips at her husband's pout, her annoyance forgotten. He was most definitely jealous, even if it was just a little, and that knowledge caused Chi-Chi's ego to swell. Her husband never failed to make her feel loved, be it small things like him mumbling her name in his sleep or feeling a tad protective of her.

"You have no reason to be jealous, honey."

"I'm not jealous, I was just asking a question," he said a bit too upbeat, it sounded unnatural even to his own ears.

That smile Chi-Chi tried so hard suppressing broke free accompanied by a giggle as she gently bumped her shoulder against his arm, as she was too short to reach his shoulder.

"You have no reason to be jealous," she repeats. "Besides, I'm old enough to be his mother."

"That does not seem to bother him," Goku mumbled. "I think you need to start shopping at another store."

Now this was growing absurd.

"Goku, stop being silly."

"I'm not being silly, Chi-Chi. I think there are a lot of stores with specials out there you can go to next time."

"Goku, I'm not changing stores-"

"But Chi-"

"Well, maybe if you had a job I could afford to buy from another store," she said, with a bit fire in her voice.

"My big mouth," Goku muttered, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head.

He rubbed the back of his head with a pout, this finding a job thing somehow found its way into every conversation. He had been doing a good job of ignoring the hints she was throwing his way, but he knew that she would soon lose her patience with him and small hints will turn into demands.

"This store has a lot of savings Goku and I'm not going to avoid going there because some boy, who is old enough to be our son, has some crush on me," she said calmly as she continued pushing the shopping cart leaving the man to stare at her as she walked away.

Goku looked over his shoulder to find the young butcher intensely stare at Chi-Chi's moving figure, a glint in his eye, a smirk planted on his face. Only when he noticed Goku's eyes on him, a frown shading his features, did he look away before disappearing behind a thick plastic curtain leading to the back.

* * *

The strange sensation he had felt in the shopping market would emerge at random times during the days following its first appearance. He did not like the feeling at all. It caused a pit in his stomach through which his swelling heart would drop through causing him to frown. He thought perhaps it was a Saiyan thing, thus he had gone to Vegeta for advice regarding the feeling as he was an encyclopedia on all things Saiyan.

Of course he already put Vegeta in a bad mood by transmitting behind him while he was rummaging through the fridge for something to eat, causing the man to nearly drop his food. The prince shouted at him in an attempt to cover up his embarrassment at scaring so easily, thus when Goku had explained to the man what had happened in the store and the feeling it produced he was met with anything but sympathy from his fellow-Saiyan.

"The problems you and your wife have are of no concern to me," he stated with his arms crossed over his well-defined chest.

"Auw, Vegeta, come on. This is serious; I don't understand what's going on with me."

Vegeta rolled his eyes as he made himself comfortable at the kitchen table.

"What type of idiot does not understand his own emotions?" he asked, the trade mark glare of his focused solely on Goku. "You're jealous."

Goku did not like that word at all. He was not a jealous person. Point blank.

"No, I'm not."

Vegeta ignored his reply. "Stake your claim, this race seems to communicate best through body language, so do the same, play their game"

If he had been the same person, he had been a few years ago, and if he was not under the watchful eye of his wife he would have probably told Kakarot to just shoot a ball of energy in the brat's face. But, 'you don't have to solve every problem with violence, Vegeta' popped into his head, the words accompanied by the sound of his wife's annoyed, yet dangerously alluring voice. Dammit, even whilst she was on the other side of the world, she still held him at a tight leash, though he would never admit it.

It was something the older Saiyan had realized during his years on earth and especially with Bulma. Luckily the women confined her physical acts of attraction to their bedroom as she knew he hated being coddled in front of an audience. His race, however, was one which spoke with brute force not passive aggressive gestures of the body.

"…."

"You have no idea what I mean."

"Uhm, not even a little," Goku said a light-hearted laugh bursting forth from his lips. He hated when people spoke in riddles, he just wanted facts clearly stated on black and white because it was less likely for him to get confused then.

"You're an idiot," the prince growled in irritation. "You display your power- in this case your relationship with the very woman he desires. You show him you have what he can't have. It's called psychological warfare, or something pathetic like that. You show him that she's your woman."

"Oh, that makes sense. But how?"

"Do I look like a life coach? Figure it out and leave before I send you back to the afterlife," he said growing even more disinterested with the conversation.

"Is that what you do with Yamcha- the psychological warfare thing?" Goku asked. Vegeta's animosity towards Yamcha had come up during pillow-talk one night, thus Goku desired to know if Vegeta ever took his own advice.

The short man stuttered, his face turning red in embarrassment and annoyance.

"It's barely the same thing."

"You're right, at least the butcher doesn't get invited to my house," Goku said thoughtfully rubbing his chin, not to taunt him but rather just stating a fact.

"Kakarot, you have two seconds to leave before I return you to your wife as nothing more than ash," the elder of the two growled dangerously. Realizing that he had pushed Vegeta too far, Goku quickly said goodbye and transmitted out of his sight once he locked into someone else's energy.

* * *

"Hi Krillin."

The short man yelped, overcome by surprise dropping the binoculars in his hands.

"Goku, hide before they see you," Krillin whispered pulling his tall, very noticeable friend down to join him on the ground.

"Who?" Goku asked in confusion as he made himself comfortable on his belly, he craned his neck to try and pinpoint what it was Krillin was looking at.

"I'm on a stakeout," Krillin explained, hoping that Goku would read between the lines…

"Oh okay, can I ask you something?"

…but of course, Goku was never one to grasp the concept of subtly.

Krillin deduced that humoring his best friend would be the quickest way of getting rid of him and not losing his job.

"Shoot."

Goku explained to Krillin all that had happened, as well as the emotions brewing within him. He even mentioned Vegeta's advice in detail.

"I even went to Piccolo before I came here."

"And how did that go?" Krilin asked, his eyes still glued to the house and the subjects it housed.

"He told me he wanted no part of what happens in Chi-Chi and my marriage. Oh, and then we sparred a bit- he's gotten a lot stronger," Goku said, his voice raising a few octaves with excitement at the surprise.

"Can't blame him."

"For getting stronger?"

"No, man, for not wanting to be in your and Chi-Chi's business. Chi-Chi's scary, and trust me buddy no one wants to incur her wrath."

Chi-Chi was intense, and she would most definitely kill him if were to give Goku bad advice that could directly be linked back to him, even if he were best friends with her husband. No, sir, Krillin liked living very much.

"You're jeal…You feel threatened,"Krilin said changing his initial statement when he recognized the look on Goku's face when his mouth dared attempt to form the word 'jealous'.

"No, I don't" Goku said, a frown growing on his features. "why would I feel threatened?"

"You tell me," Krillin said with a small shrug.

"I'm not threatened by him. I mean, he does not really have the power level of a threat, nor does he seem to have any strange vibes oozing off him." Well except with regards to Chi-Chi.

"I'm not talking about a physical threat, I'm talking about a love rival. But you have nothing to worry about, Chi-Chi isn't really planning on going anywhere soon," Krillin said with an encouraging grin.

"What, no, that doesn't make sense," Goku said accompanied by good-natured laugh that sounded a bit too forced to even his own ears.

"It kind of does; you've been dead for 7 years and even though you died you still presumed Chi-Chi would remain faithful to you and not consider anybody else, right?"

Goku slowly nodded, that's exactly what he thought. He did not care for any romantic companionship but that of his wife, thus he presumed the same would be true for her, because though he had died, he was not gone forever. He knew he would one day see her again in the after life thus he saw their marriage as valid, even beyond death.

"Well, usually when a spouse dies their widowed partner finds someone else."

"Okay?"

"What I am trying to say is that the guy's crush on Chi-Chi might be triggering a subconscious fear borne out of the fact that you were absent for 7 years. Because of that insecurity anybody that shows attraction to your wife, is seen as a rival because you feel guilty and afraid that Chi-Chi might seek someone else who could give her what you didn't and can't, even if it's just subconsciously.

"But-but Chi-Chi, doesn't like him," Goku said scratching the back of his head.

"So? That doesn't mean that in your mind he might not steal her away from you," Krillin said.

"Well, how do I stop feeling like that then?"

* * *

"Why do you have to come every week, Chi-Chi?"

"Because you and your sons have no concept of portion control," she said feigning annoyance with a loving grin on her face.

That was not the answer he wanted because it was true: he wanted her to say something he could rebuff and somehow twist around to get his way. His way being her leaving this store and never returning so that 'Libo' could not dare lay eyes on his wife again. The young man was the very reason Goku decided to accompany her to the store, a week later, willingly this time to protect her virtue. Not that his wife honestly needed much protection, her glare alone could turn men to stone, but still that was the reason Goku gave her, resulting in her breaking out in laughter. He was trying to mask his jealousy under a layer of protection; jealousy he still refused to acknowledge.

Noticing that her husband was treading on childishness, rather than his usual childlikeness, Chi-Chi rolled her eyes but allowed him to wallow in his jealousy. She still could not believe her husband who was easily one of the strongest beings in the universe was threatened by a boy who had just recently left his teen years.

His finger curled around her hip whilst he leaned forward, so he could rest his chin on her shoulder. The action surprised her for her husband was rarely one to show affection first, much less in public. But what surprised Chi-Chi even more were the words whispered into her ear: "Cheech, can't we just go home? Goten and Gohan are still in school."

Chi-Chi nearly choked on thin air at the thought that her husband was attempting to seduce her. But was that even possible? Her husband was not much of a planner when it came to intimacy, and nor was he one to bring it up anywhere but in the bed room, thus she shrugged it off. But then he pressed a gently kiss to her vein on the side of her neck, making sure to gently lick the throbbing artery in the process as if to taste her racing pulse.

She was conflicted; on the one hand she was a woman of morals who believed such intimate affection should only be confined to the bedroom, but on the other hand the thought of her husband desiring her was doing incomprehensible things to her body.

"Go-Goku," she stuttered, miserably failing at sounding upset, escaping his gentle grasp. "Stop it. What's going on with you?"

"I'll tell you at home," he looks at her with the most innocent eyes but that smile he gives is filled to the brim with innuendo which has her chocking on her own spit. It would be a lie to say that he was not enjoying his wife's flustered reaction; he rarely ever had the upper hand with Chi-Chi so on the rare occasions it happens he makes sure to relish in the moment.

She gently hits him against his head fearing that the childhood knock he had received was wearing off giving the suppressed parts of his personality the freedom to act so bold.

"Ow, what was that for?" he said rubbing his head even though they both knew that the hit was far from painful.

"What's your name?"

"Why are-"

"What's your name?" She asks again, this time placing her palms to his forehead to feel for a fever.

"Well, I'm kinda hurt, Chi-Chi, I mean we've known each other for over 20 years now, I would have guessed you would have known my name by now."

He was trying to be cute, and dang it, it was working judging by the smile growing on her lips.

"You're such a goofball," she mutters, with a slight pout at not being able to resist his charm, only to be gifted with a dopey lopsided grin from him. "But we're still finishing shopping. So, you better Suck. It. Up."

He pouts at that, watching her pushing the shopping cart, her hips swaying as if to taunt him for failing at his seduction efforts. He powerlessly follows her as she roams through the store; he gathered a bunch of snacks for he and Goten as he follows, thinking he might as well get something out in return for having to endure this. After a while they finally ended up at the dreaded butcher to find to the happily grinning face of Libo.

"Good morning, Miss Chi-Chi," his voice carries the same excitement as his smile. Again, his gaze is only focused on her completely ignoring Goku's presence. Goku's gaze met that of the young man whose brown eyes were glistering with the same boldness they did a week ago

"I already packaged your meat for you, the best cuts of course."

"You're so sweet, thank you," she says with a polite smile causing the young boy to blush.

"Of-of course, Miss Chi-Chi."

He picks up the heavy bags of various meats and cuts, making sure his powerless muscles flex in a flamboyant display that Chi-Chi had to swallow a laugh. She found it all adorable; like a puppy trying to show off its new tricks in exchange for a treat. As she and the butcher made polite conversation both Krilin and Vegeta's advice taunted him, demanding he act therefore he did what any other man would do, stake his claim…publicly.

The perfect opportunity presented itself when his wife's conversation ended, and she turned to walk away from him and continue her shopping. Again her hips swayed as if to grant him permission for what he was about to do. Possessively his large hand made itself comfortable on her soft, plump backside, giving a firm squeeze silently taunting his rival, a smirk planted on his face. Such a display was probably the most primal of urges akin to how animals mark their territory with their urine, but this was a battle Goku was going to win. Goku, loved showing off during a battle, even in a battle of wits it seemed. However, he got too cocky, a character flaw he still needed address, celebrating his victory prematurely as unfortunately for him, his testosterone-induced stupidity failed to consider his wife's reaction to his public claim.

Not expecting, nor ever having experienced such an intimate touch in public, Chi-Chi's immediate response was to hit first and ask questions later. At the speed of light, she swing her fist around to make contact with a very hard jaw, however adrenaline numbed the pain receptors in her body.

Though he had lightning fast reflexes, Goku's unexpecting body flew backwards at the sheer force of her hit, as his muscles did not expect any reaction from her, especially one so forceful. He fell against the hard glass case which protected meat from flies and various other insects, causing it to crack and him to grunt in surprise at having the wind knocked out of him.

The sound of her husband's grunt immediately caused Chi-Chi to run to his side, but she stopped mid-step when her brain registered, what her body did not initially- her husband had just groped her in public. Self-righteous anger heated her skin causing it to turn pink. He had clearly pushed her too far judging by the glow of rage emanating from her skin.

"Why I never! I am your wife, Son Goku, YOUR WIFE, and the MOTHER of YOUR children. How dare you not treat me with the respect I deserve. How dare you touch me like that in public! You're lucky I don't have my pan in my hand or I would have sent you straight back to King Kai-"

"But, babe-" he began sheepishly trying to explain that she was drawing more attention to the action than the action itself, only to be interrupted.

"Don't you 'babe' me,l."

She then turned her ire to the very amused butcher, causing the young man's smile to drop immediately and fear to take its place

"And you ..." That voice is a smooth and poisonous as venom. "… go find a girlfriend your own age, I'm a married woman." The man stared at her with wide eyes nodding as fear coursed through every inch of his body. "And stand up straight, you look like a hoodlum, and your posture is going to give you back problems when you get older."

Immediately the young man did what he was told as he watched her turn her attention back to her husband yet again.

"You better stop this, Son Goku!" she exclaimed as she pulled him by the ear off the floor.

"Ouch, Cheech, too hard."

"Get used to it, the floor you'll be sleeping on will be hard too."

Regardless, Goku can't stop himself from grinning at the knowledge that Chi-Chi probably scared the living daylights out of the kid and it brought him some solace that only he could handle his wife and that's the way it's supposed to be.

All was right with the world again.

* * *

 **Oh yeah, the first few chapters will be in chronological order, those that follow will not be.**

 **Next** : It's winter and that of course means a Son Family snowball fight, but Chi-Chi doesn't play fair.


End file.
